ILLINOIS STATE BEE-KEEPEES' ASSOCIATION. 171 



large colonies, it is going to take a large expenditure of honey in the 

 early part of the year to get them. Now some years nature gives us 

 all that. That is, you know the old bee books said 20 or 25 pounds was 

 adequate for wintering. That is to say, if there is an abundance of 

 honey in the spring, fruit bloom and dandelion and all the other sources, 

 so all the bees go out and get the extra honey they need, all right. But 

 if those things are not contributed by nature, then the colonies simply 

 cannot increase to their maximum strength on the 20 or 25 pounds of 

 honey which is left according to the older directions. And that is the 

 reason why we recommend widely and generally a large stock of honey 

 in the hive. 



Now the gentleman, who is associated with me in the office, 

 told the bee-keepers at one of the California meetings something that 

 I had not heard before, that he had invented and patented a feeder. 

 I know that you will all be interested in this feeder, because it is filled 

 once, it is then put on the hive, and whenever the bees need feed it 

 gives down just the right amont of feed. Just as soon as the bees 

 don't need this feed any more, it stops, and then it is refilled without 

 cost to the bee-keeper, and it is always ready for the next operation. 

 Now he told them about this feeder, and. their ears were right up in 

 the air, and he told them that this feeder consists of super honey. 

 That is why we recommend that for wintering, this patent feeder, 

 if you want to call it that, because it gives down the honey as needed, 

 and stops when it is not needed, and not one drop of that is lost, because 

 the feed is not wasted, and if nature does co-operate, if nature sends in 

 a nice lot of honey from dandelion or what not, it is still there and can 

 still be extracted. 



Now the only detriment to that kind of feeder is where the honey 

 tends to granulate very quickly. Then it is somewhat a handicap to 

 get that honey in the hive, but under all conditions it is the greatest 

 help bee-keepers can have. 



Mr. Krause. — I might say I winter in a hive which is equal to a 

 twelve-frame standard hive. 



Dr. Phillips. — What is your entrance? 

 * Mr. Krause. — We like the entrance inside, with four inches of 

 packing all around. Then we have an outside entrance, what we call 

 the wintering entrance. That is four inches wide. 



Dr. Phillips. — How about the bottom? 



Mr. Krause. — It is not a packed bottom, it is made out of cedar 

 wood, seven-eights lumber, and stands on the ground, on two by 

 three scantling. Of course that gives you a packing at the bottom 

 in a way, because that ground very seldom freezes. 



Dr. Phillips. — That is probably where your condensation comes 

 from, then, that bottom. 



The President. — It is now ten minutes to five and we will have 

 to close before long. I think we had better proceed to the election of 

 officers. 



Moved and seconded the the present President be renominated. 



Motion carried. 



Moved and seconded that the Secretarv be directed to cast a 

 ballot for the President. 



